Huck wrote: Did you look for evidence, that Chess existed in 1410? That's your job, my friend. I was looking at various themes on birth trays (mainly in regard to Scheggia; went through M. Haines' Italian monograph on him this weekend) and then on-line again when this chess birth tray popped up (I ...

Huck, Of course I disagree with your chess theory but I have asked that you provide meaningful evidence for chess in the decades before 1440 in Florence...here you go (the reverse of a birth tray from c. 1410): http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUAM:30524_dynmc?width=560&height=560 http://www.harvard...

Huck wrote: The Michelino deck used another composition of the 12 gods as the Manilius, but its detection surely raised the attention of the many astrologers around Filippo. Martiano da Tortona was also called an astrologer. And nowhere does Martiano group his 16 gods/heroes on a paired basis as yo...

Phaeded wrote: Is this equation starting to make any sense to you: Pope = theological virtues + allied with Medici-controlled Florence thus all seven virtues (which we have inthe CY deck!)? Theological virtues would have been appropriate for both wooing and wedding decks, but not for the PMB deck i...

The reverse of the famous Lorenzo de Medici birth tray of 1449 features the armorial device of his father, Piero de’ Medici: a diamond ring with three ostrich feathers and a banderole with the motto SEMPER (forever). The device is much worn and the silver is oxidized but its original colors of green...

Lorredan wrote: Why not Mother of Mercy, Mary and Christ child, Annunciation, Maji, True Cross, Stations of the Cross......? For the same reason- they are not appropriate for a game." And yet there the theological virtues are in the only significantly surving pre-PMB deck with trumps in existe...

But what interested me about Huck's remark was the question it raised for me - do battles inspire games? In "real" historical terms, proven and documented.... Yes, at least decks of cards. http://www.wopc.co.uk/assets/images/countries/uk/margary/marlborough.jpg Marlborough's Victories Pla...

Huck wrote: In the Giusti case we have, that a condottiero got a Trionfi deck as a present. It belonged to the "virtues" or capabilities of the knights, that they knew how to play chess. Otherwise they should have been able to fight with swords, to ride a horse, to swim and other useful q...

Huck wrote: A pen drawing at a leather cover of an account book from 1425-27, which shows a figure seated on a throne, with some similarity to a "Queen of Baton" More likely to have been a virtue or Fama although there are no distinguishable attributes on that poorly preserved (or reprodu...

Huck wrote: I think, that the 14 trumps of the first painter hadn't an interest in the virtues. Considering at least one virtue exists in each of the (partially) surviving trionfi decks I think that you couldn't be further from the truth. Huck wrote: Sforza as the commissioner wasn't so much intere...